HUDSON, N.H. -- A 43-year-old local man was killed yesterday following a freakish accident in which he fell off a ladder while trying to cut tree limbs on his property and became impaled on a crowbar when he hit the ground, according to published reports.

Police last night said only that the man, who is not being identified pending notification of his family, died at Southern New Hampshire Regional Medical Center in Nashua, where he was taken after falling about 2:05 p.m.

Police and firefighters rushed to the scene to rescue the man after he fell, and got the attention of neighbors by screaming for help, according to police.

The Telegraph of Nashua reported that the man landed on a crowbar when he fell, and was impaled through the leg and possibly his body as well.